Newsletter of the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center

September 5, 2018September 5, 2018

Awareness for VAWA & MMIW

*Non-Fed Funded Moment

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 2018 Reauthorization

On July 26, 2018, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Bill was introduced in the House by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. NIWRC has developed a social media campaign. Additionally, there are some social media hashtags that you can use from the National movement: #VAWA4ALL and #VAWA2018. If you tag NIWRC, we will retweet/re-instagram/repost! Because this bill includes needed protections for Native women, NIWRC will also be using #TribalVAWA and #VAWA4Natives.

DOWNLOAD: “VAWA 2013’s Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Five-Year Report.” Five years ago, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013). In response to the high rates of domestic violence being perpetrated against American Indian and Alaska Native women by non-Indian men, and harrowing stories from victims whose abusers seemed out of justice’s reach, the law contained a new provision. This report summarizes how VAWA 2013’s landmark provision has been implemented and analyzes its impacts in the 5 years since it was enacted.

SHARE: VAWA Awareness Cards on social media! (NIWRC is also on Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest). The cards featured NIWRC Board members and NCAI Task Force Co-Chairs for VAW.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Leading up to Saturday, May 5th, 2018 the NIWRC ran a social media campaign and encouraged Native organizations to sign on in support of a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in the United States. The second National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls over social media campaign was successful, public gatherings included NIWRC’s Board of Directors member, Deborah Parker helping present on MMIW in Rosebud, SD, a MMIW march in Yakima Nation, Senator Heitkamp’s #NotInvisible social media campaign nationally, City of Seattle proclamation for MMIW day May 5th, Native Women in Film’s #WhyWeWearRed national social media campaign, Alaksa Native community and Organized Village of Kwethluk event & slideshow, and Native Hawaiian slideshow and many more!

EXPLORE: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Database by Annita Lucchesi. The MMIW Database logs cases of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and two spirit people in Canada and the United States, from 1900 to the present. There are many lists and sources of information online, but no central database that is routinely updated, includes both Canada and the US, and thoroughly logs important aspects of the data, and overall, there is a chronic lack of data on this violence. The database works to address that need, by maintaining a comprehensive resource to support community members, advocates, activists, and researchers in their work towards justice for our stolen sisters. The database has been built and maintained by Annita Lucchesi, a Southern Cheyenne doctoral student. Annita is a survivor of domestic and sexual violence, and is doing her dissertation research on community projects mapping this data.

WATCH: Shawl Squares for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls in Pala, CA. In April 2018, the NIWRC collaborated with the Pala Band of Mission Indians, Avellaka Program & Rebecca Nagle on creating shawl squares with messages of protecting Native women and girls who go missing and murdered in the United States.